Israeli troops have killed around fifty militants since they began a ground operation in the eastern part of Rafah earlier this week, the military said last night.

According to Israeli military estimates, 150,000 Palestinians have been hastily removed from the eastern part of Rafah after what it describes as a “limited” operation began.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military deployed tanks and seized control of the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip’s border crossing with Egypt — closing the main gateway for humanitarian aid convoys into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Ten underground tunnels were identified during operations in Rafah and preparations are being made to blow them up, the army added.

Yesterday Thursday, three Israeli soldiers were injured when they entered a tunnel rigged with explosives, the armed forces also reported. They were taken to a hospital.